Adil Najam
In what is clearly a historic development, the Prime Minister of Pakistan Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani addressed the nation to announce the reinstatement of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry. The address, which was supposed to be at 2AM Pakistan Time, was late by many hours but the subtext was true to the rumors that had been circulating in Pakistan all day:
Here is the full text of the Prime Minister’s speech:
My dear countrymen Assalam-o-Alaikum,
I am speaking to you at a time when our country is standing at a critical moment. No country can make progress without political tolerance and the PPP and lawyers have been together in struggle for upholding democracy in Pakistan. Shaheed Mohtrama Benazir Bhutto actively participated in the struggle of restoration of judiciary was launched by lawyers. Benazir Bhutto wanted free judiciary and supremacy of the constitution.
The lawyers’ movement for restoring of judges was their democratic right. The PPP was shoulder to shoulder with the lawyers in the cause for the independent judiciary.
The slain PPP leader Benazir Bhutto also wanted to reinstate the deposed chief justice.
I have taken all his coalition partners and the President into confidence about the reinstatement of the deposed chief justice once the current chief justice retires on March 21.
The deposed chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry will assume charges on March 21.
Benazir Bhutto wanted free judiciary and supremacy of the constitution.
I order all the provincial government to abolish Section 144 at once.
After consultations with all political forces of the country and President Asif Ali Zardari, we have decided to restore all deposed judges including Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry as Chief Justice of Pakistan who will assume charge on March 21. The current Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar retires on March 21. I urge all the political forces and lawyers to work for the solidarity and welfare of the country.
Pakistan Paindabad.
Just over two years after he was first unceremoniously removed by Gen. Pervaiz Musharraf, and having once been restored by the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry has now been ‘restored’ yet again as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The road from there has been tumultuous. The movement that gathered around him was always bigger than the CJ and it was bigger than those around him. The vindication today is not simply of Chief Justice Chaudhry, it is a vindication of Pakistan’s civil society.
ATP has covered the ups and down of this story. For some reason one has a sense that this story is not over yet. We have celebrated a reinstatement once before too. And from the PM’s speech it is not clear at all what the terms of the decision really are. But right now one wishes simply to bask in the joyousness of the moment, in the vindication of justice, in the goodness of the news. There is much analysis that is needed, but let us leave that for just a little later.
hi anyone can please provide me email address of CJ Iftikhar Ch. Thanks
Hi!
I had read about the death incident of Miss. Faiza I was much disturbed by such death. The reason that had been written seems to be true here I will discuss the reasons and how they should be avoided next time.
NED does not have enough buses for its students government responsibility is to provide the essential assistance to them. Vc of university should protest it should are protesting against it we can not bring back Faiza to life but we can save many othe lives by taking steps. These students are future of Pakistan if we lost them what will be the future of Pakistan.
On 18th of April this incident occurred bus was at full of it capacity she was standing on the foot rest of the bus suddenly her feet slipped from the foot rest and she was crushed by rear wheels of the bus then she was taken to the nearest private hospital at that time she was alive but hospital doctor refused to take a police case. At that students took her to another hospital on the way her soul left this world.
We to analyze why such incident occurred why we lost Faiza why this happening on in Pakistan. Her I will suggest some solution and causes of it.
1. if bus was overcrowded why it was not checked by traffic police it was no happening only on that day it was from the start that the bus was always overcrowded. Why the management of the university was closing its eyes on the matter.
2. why we have made such rules that could not save the lives of human being in any other country laws are made to service and facilitate but here we lost many lives because of such laws. Any private hospital can not take police case.
3. we should be combine in saving human lives.
Here I request to all authorities to take initiative to avoid such incident here I openly say that University management , traffic police and Pakistan law is responsible for the death of Miss. Faiza. I have only that I can make you realize that where we have to improve now its up to you what to you and how you do. Please save human lives we can save them with little care and responsibility I hope my mail will make you to think.
I am glad that CJ Iftikhar Ch. has been reinstated. The test now is to see how he dispenses justice. He has a great opportunity to demonstrate what a really independent judiciary should be like. TO ACT FOR JUSTICE AND NOT WITH VENGENCE.
The Supreme Court website now lists Iftikhar Chaudhry as the “Honorable Chief Justice of Pakistan”:
http://tinyurl.com/cdphap
Thanks to TeethMaestro for alerting us to this.
Lawyers’ Movement: The Other Side Of The Story (Must Read) by ‘Nayyar Afaq’ at
http://www.ahmedquraishi.com/article_detail.php?id =630
The secular, liberal forces of Pakistan have proved that they can bring about change without riverting to violence nad bloodshed like the Taliban. That is the moral of the story.
AA
Congratulations! Pakistan.
We have made a History.
The people around the world will use/mention/remeber this as example.
Tribute to all the heroes whose efforts have made this possible.
Pakistan Zindabad.
Regards
It feels good to get some good news ….. feels great